The Miyagi Museum of Art | Review by 黃國棟

Visiting Futakuchi Gorge in the summer, the lush greenery of nature fills your view. The mountains, forests, and valley come together to create fresh and captivating scenery. Walking through it and taking in the natural surroundings makes you feel relaxed as well.

Futakuchi Gorge is full of life in the summer, and the scenery is already quite beautiful! It makes me wonder how stunning it must be in the fall, when the mountains are covered in a mix of red, yellow, and orange leaves.

Each season has its own beauty. This time, I captured the fresh greenery of summer, and if I have the chance, I definitely want to come back to admire the romantic fall foliage!

Matsushima, one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views, truly lives up to its reputation! This time I visited Saigyo Modoshi no Matsu Park. Looking out over Matsushima Bay from the hilltop, I saw islands scattered across the deep blue sea, overlapping in layers. The view was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but linger over it.

I also made a special trip to Oshima. After crossing the bridge, I took a leisurely stroll along the island’s paths. I had only planned to wander around casually, but there turned out to be so many great spots along the way for enjoying the ocean views. There was a different surprise around every corner!

Rather than making a quick stop just to take photos and check in, I prefer exploring slowly like this, discovering unexpected scenery and taking in Matsushima’s unique tranquility and grandeur.

In Matsushima, besides enjoying the beautiful bay views, don’t miss Entsuin Temple, a garden filled with a sense of Japanese Zen. It’s a well-known spot in Matsushima for viewing fall foliage. When the maple leaves turn red in autumn, the garden bursts with color and is enchanting. Personally, though, I think the fresh greenery of early summer has its own charm!

As I strolled along the garden paths, lush green maple leaves filled my view. Together with the beautifully designed Japanese landscaping, they created a quiet and elegant atmosphere that made me naturally slow down and enjoy this rare sense of peace and leisure. Although I didn’t visit during the fall foliage season and missed autumn’s brilliant colors, there was instead a refreshing, natural beauty.

It turns out that Entsuin Temple has its own scenery in every season. Whether you come for the autumn leaves or the summer greenery, it’s well worth a stroll to experience the unique elegance and soothing quality of a Japanese garden.